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Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Air will launch in stores and begin arriving to customers this Tuesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features.

15-inch-MacBook-Air-hands-on.jpeg

The 15-inch MacBook Air is equipped with the same M2 chip as the 13-inch model, and the laptops share the same overall design. Apple says both models even have the same battery life. The 15-inch model's only hardware differences include a larger display/chassis and six speakers, compared to four in the 13-inch model. For a more detailed comparison, read our 13-inch vs. 15-inch MacBook Air Buyer's Guide.

The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299, while the 13-inch model now starts at a lower $1,099. However, all 15-inch configurations include a 10-core GPU, while the entry-level 13-inch model is equipped with an 8-core GPU. All 15-inch models also ship with 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter at no additional cost.

Written Reviews

The Verge's Monica Chin was impressed with the 15-inch MacBook Air's speakers:
But the third big difference is the speakers. The Air 13's speakers are good; the Air 15's are stupendous. Bass came through in a way it doesn't on pretty much any other computer; I was so stunned when I first turned on a bass-heavy song that I thought it must've been coming from a Bluetooth speaker somewhere else.
TheStreet's Jacob Krol said the 15-inch MacBook Air offers considerable value:
At its core, the 15-inch MacBook Air is an impressively robust, ultra-portable laptop and a crazily thin one at just 11.5-millimeters. When you consider the price point, though, the $1,299 starting MSRP significantly undercuts the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro by $700 and doesn't compromise a ton on performance.
TechCrunch's Brian Heater said he managed 19 hours of video playback on a single charge:
The battery is rated at 18 hours – same as the 13-inch. In TechCrunch's testing, we got around 19 hours of video playback. While the screen is larger and therefore draws more power, that’s counteracted by an enlarged footprint, creating more space for battery.
CNBC's Kif Leswing said the 15-inch MacBook Air "hits the sweet spot for most people in terms of price, capability, and portability."

Six Colors' Jason Snell said the 15-inch MacBook Air fills a void:
If you've hesitated to consider buying a MacBook Air because its screens always seemed a bit too cramped, you now have another option. If you've always wanted a bigger display but didn't want to pay more than $1000 for the privilege, your time is now.

This laptop has literally everything that made the M2 MacBook Air great. It's just bigger. Sometimes, bigger is better.
Video Reviews








Article Link: 15-Inch MacBook Air Reviews: The Sweet Spot for Performance, Size, and Value
 
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Algus

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2014
353
330
Arizona
The 13'' lower price point and slightly smaller form factor will still be appealing to a lot of folks. When you think of the price difference, that's $200 for a slightly larger screen. Some people will think that is money well worth spending, others will probably prefer to keep their $200. I definitely see both sizes having their niches.
 

Spaceboi Scaphandre

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2022
3,414
8,106
I can't believe it took them this long to finally make a 15 inch Macbook Air. It just makes sense

Best part it's at a really great price. It's cheaper than all the other 15 inch notebooks out there, and faster than them, and with 5x the battery life of them

The 15 inch Macbook Air is pretty much the final nail in the coffin for the Dell XPS lineup.
 

bmustaf

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2007
613
1,176
Telluride, CO
Still don't love that they've crippled it by not allowing dual external displays.

Before you go saying "that's a Pro only feature, the Air is a lightweight non-Pro box", have a look at Apple's marketing page for the Air, literally marketing it with After Effects and "intense workloads".

The hardware is most certainly capable of it...although Vision Pro may make that point entirely moot early next year.
 

TheIguana

macrumors 6502a
Sep 26, 2004
678
492
Canada
Still don't love that they've crippled it by not allowing dual external displays.

Before you go saying "that's a Pro only feature, the Air is a lightweight non-Pro box", have a look at Apple's marketing page for the Air, literally marketing it with After Effects and "intense workloads".

The hardware is most certainly capable of it...although Vision Pro may make that point entirely moot early next year.


Completely agree, I don’t understand why the reviewers are not calling Apple out on this. There is little excuse for the lack of dual external display support on these new models! Making this a “Pro” only feature is extremely frustrating. All this does is make the computer more apt to become e-waste rather than extending its longevity.
 
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